True Darkness
by Dragonlver22
Summary: At Sonic's 20th Birthday, Eggman kidnapped the hero and brought him to his lab. As a final attempt of becoming the ruler of Mobius, Eggman tries to control Sonic's dark form using science and a forbidden magic. However, the experiment goes wrong and he summons a demon instead. With Eggman as its first victim, the demon plans to unleash the world of demons upon Mobius.
1. Disclaimers & Background Info

_Disclaimer- I do not claim any ownership over Sonic the Hedgehog and friends. They belong to SEGA. I also do not claim ownership over Sonic-EXE._ However _, I do own this story and the rest of the art and characters created for this story._ If you see this book posted anywhere except Wattpad, DeviantArt or Fanfiction —and is not under the name Dragonlver22—then it has been illegally re-uploaded.

Well, now that that's over with, let me tell you a bit about this story. It will be focusing on characters from all the games up till now and the anime, "Sonic X". Due to this, Sally Acorn and others like her will not be playing many roles. That does _NOT_ mean I won't have them in the story. For example, Sonia and Manic will play some emotional interactions with Sonic. The reason for this is because I don't know much about them and I really don't want to mess up their traits/characteristics.

Now, about EXE, I can't find the original story/creator, but, as I've seen, there are 2 different stories about his creation. Either Sonic lost his mind and was overwhelmed by his dark form or he was possessed by a demon while he was either alive or dead. The 2nd one is the one I'm going with. However, instead of the demon possessing Sonic and then through the power of story plot and friendship he's destroyed, I've decided to take it further. Through much research, planning, and designing, I have created two worlds: one of magic and the other of demons, not to mention extra mythical creatures/beings in between.

Also fair warning, there will be blood and gore in this story so heads up for those who are squeamish.

Thank you for reading and please enjoy!


	2. Chapter 1 - The Birthday Smash

An explosion erupted the seemingly quiet afternoon air.

"Hey Ivo, when are you going to retire? You must be over 100 years by now." Sonic mocked as he easily smashed a few robots.

"You ill-mannered rodent! I'll show you! Consider this your Birthday present, Sonic!" Eggman then unleashed another squad of his newly designed robots. Sonic only smirked as he took on the challenge. However, Mobius's heroine didn't notice the eerie smile that stretched across the doctor's face.

Meanwhile, Team Rose, Dark, the rest of Team Sonic, and a few others were all busy keeping the party guests safe. Today was Sonic's 20th birthday and he was celebrating it with all his friends and family. During the opening of gifts, the party was crashed by robots. Shadow, Knuckles, Silver, and Blaze were there with Sonic and helping him in defeating the robot army.

Although he was fighting, Shadow's mind was elsewhere. This attack that Eggman lead was not like his usual ones. Yes, it was the faker's Birth celebration, but even then the number of robots were unsettling to The Ultimate Life Form. _I better stay on guard_. he noted as he chaos speared more robots.

Far off, the mad Doctor watched the battle below unfold. He pressed a button on his console and leaned in.

"It is time," Eggman muttered into the speaker in front of him.

* * *

Even though it had ruined his party, Sonic was enjoying getting to smash some robots. Lasers shot by his head and he turned around only to barely dodge another one. A robot stared at him, emotionless as he reloaded. Not wasting any time, Sonic spin-dashed the metal slave. He could only smirk before turning towards another group. This was way too easy for him. He smashed through many more robots and started to get cocky. _Too_ cocky. Without warning, Metal Sonic, newly upgraded, came up behind his organic counterpart and hit the back of his head. Sonic fell to the ground, unconscious and helpless. Only when Metal picked up the hedgehog, one of his friends took notice.

"Sonic!" Amy yelled towards the unconscious hero.

After hearing her scream, the others saw the 'package' Metal Sonic was carrying. Tails immediately took action and fired one of his weapons at Metal. The robot just brushed the laser aside as if it were nothing.

"OBJECTIVE: Capture Sonic The Hedgehog And Return To Base." Metal Sonic stated in a robotic tone and fired up his jetpack.

Knuckles, Silver, and Shadow sprinted towards the robot but could not get there in time for he had already taken off. Silver picked up some rocks and followed Metal with his telekinesis.

"Chaos Control!" Shadow teleported to where the robot was and threw a punch. The hit made contact and caused Metal Sonic to fly back a couple of yards. Silver then grabbed Sonic, using his powers, and threw the boulders at the kidnapper. Metal dodged the first two and burst through the third, catching the white hedgehog off guard, and shot lasers at him. Silver lost his focused and fell while dropping Sonic, who was caught by his metal counterpart. Shadow teleported again and this time used his chaos spear to attack. Metal Sonic dodged but the extra weight of his counterpart made him slower. Shadow was also growing tired as he had to keep teleporting himself in order to stay in the air. The sound of a jet caught the scientific creations' attention and they turned to find the X-Tornado flying towards them. Shadow then teleported onto one of the wings as Tails, along with Amy and Knuckles, flew circles around the hovering robot.

"PRIORITY 1: Return the Hedgehog To Base For Experiment. PRIORITY 2: Deal With The Organics." Metal listed to himself. Behind him, a portal opened and he backed into it with Sonic the hedgehog in his grasp. Tails tried to fly through the portal but it closed before he could.

There was a moment of silent defeat that hung in the air. The only sound was that of the plane's engine humming in the wind. A sudden slam against the plane broke the silence. Amy stared ahead, tears filled her eyes. The fox did nothing but hanging his head as he flew the plane back to the ground. Shadow, being that he was the only one outside of the plane, had heard what Metal Sonic said. _Experiment? What does he mean by that? What is the doctor planning?_ He wondered as the plane landed.

* * *

"Wake up, hedgehog!"

That was the most unpleasant wake-up call Sonic could ever ask for.

Sonic's eyes slowly fluttered open as light blared down on his face. Once his vision cleared he noticed strange circles with symbols on the ground below him. _Below him_. Confused, he lifted his head to find his worst enemy standing in front of him.

"Ah... so you're finally awake... took you long enough," Eggman grumbled the last part, however, his face didn't show annoyance, instead, it held triumph.

The bald man snickered at the sight of the fallen hero chained up and hanging from some sort of machine. Beside Eggman, Metal Sonic watched in silence.

"So... you finally captured me..." Eggman straightened his back at Sonic's words. "...heh, took _you_ long enough." Sonic weakly copied the doctor's words, mocking him. An aching pain called his attention towards his arms, only to find wiring connected to him.

"Oh don't worry hedgehog, you've been numbed, so you won't be able to feel _some_ of the pain." Eggman turned to walk away to a control table and started typing in commands. Sonic cleared his throat, calling for attention and ignoring the eerie feeling he was getting.

"I believe that this is the part where you tell me your evil plan so that I can stop it?" Sonic inquired. Although he got out of situations like this often, this time was a bit unsettling for him. Maybe it was the wires connected to him or the unpredictability in the doctor's eye.

A worn out laugh broke the hedgehog's thoughts.

"Well since you won't be in your right mind to stop me, I guess I will..." The doctor turned to face the Mobian Hero, a smirk accompanied his large mustache.

Eggman walked slowly towards Sonic with every word he spoke. "As you know you have a bit of a _dark_ side within you that comes with great power. _It_ only comes out when you let negative emotions control you; an example would be if your friends have been severely hurt, but I'm no murderer, so I had to find another way to unleash _it_. So I did what I do best; create things." Eggman was in front of Sonic's face by now. The hero held his gaze, not showing weakness. It was only now where he realized, that over the years, the doctor had been growing less and less sane. "I have created a computer generated virus that will allow me to control your Dark form. When you go reeking havoc, The Acorn kingdom will come to me and be forced to make a deal. I will defeat you and become the Emperor to rule over my Egg Empire!"

Eggman's hand clutched the air in triumph as his face grew a sinister grin. Now Sonic was getting really nervous. _H-he's not going to kill me, is he? N-no, he would never... yet, he has been threatening me ever since we met..._ Sonic's mind was running wild with the possibility that the doctor might actually end his life today. His family... his friends...

"No! I won't allow it! I promise to always be there to protect others and I intend to keep it!" Sonic shouted at Eggman while trying to break free of the binding that held him. The human chuckled at Sonic's sorry attempt at escape.

He walked back towards his control panel and continued pressing commands. Suddenly, the wires attached to Sonic started vibrating and then something was injected into his body. The hedgehog yelped at the sudden pain. Eggman's hand landed on a large switch while he pulled out a red and purple crystal. Tossing it onto the circles below Sonic, he gave the hedgehog one last grin. "Sayonara, Sonic the Hedgehog..." with that Dr. Eggman pushed down on the switch. Immediately, Sonic felt his entire body writhe with pain. Then images were forced into his mind. Pain. Failure. The death of friends and family. A dying world _._ The symbols and circles started glowing a crimson red.

"N-no! Please, stop... Stop! STOOOOOOOP!" His eyes became pure white while his quills darkened in color. His cries of pain would make even the Devil feel sorry for him. Eggman's grin grew wider as a dark aurora appeared around his arch-nemesis. Then the machines started to over heat and fry, but the doctor had noticed and turned off the machine. He had done it. He awakened Dark Sonic.

"HOHOHOHOHOOOoooo I've done it! What do you think of me now, Sonic?" Eggman continued his laugh of triumph, not noticing that Dark Sonic's health statistics were going wrong. Suddenly, a shock wave was released and all technology within a 10-mile radius was fried, including Orbot, Cubot, and Metal Sonic. It was pitch black with only the moon as a light source. Eggman scoffed in irritation until he realized something.

Without his technology, he won't be able to control Dark Sonic. He slowly turned to the hedgehog, moonlight shining down on him. What Eggman saw horrified him. The once hero of Mobius was changing before his very eyes. The hedgehog's tears oozed to blood, his teeth grew sharp like razors, and the dark aurora was absorbed into his body.

A cloud passed over the moon, blinding the doctor's only light source. A sinister, robotic-like laughter could be heard in the shadows. Eggman blinked and when his eyes opened, two glowing ones stared into his; they were a vibrant yet dark red. The moon's light then reviled a monstrous form of Sonic before Dr. Eggman. No whites in the eyes, just glowing, red irises floating in the emptiness of his sockets. A shark-like-teeth smile grew upon its face, the corners reaching the end of his muzzle.

The horrifying image before him froze Eggman where he stood.

Another cloud passed over the moon and with it came another round of the monster's laughter. The last thing Dr. Ivo Robotnic heard was the breaking of his machine and the glowing, red eyes flying towards him.


	3. Chapter 2 - Troubling Finds

After Sonic's kidnapping, his friends tended to the wounded and began to formulate a plan to rescue him. They surrounded a round wooden table with a map of Dr. Eggman's base. They are planning their rescue.

"We gotta start looking for him now!" Knuckles slammed his fist on the table before him.

Knuckles is now 21 years old and has aged greatly. He has grown out his locks a bit and now wears a cowboy-like hat. Being the guardian of the Master Emerald, he has a large scar on the side of his chest and some bandages on his spines. He also wears a tribal necklace that he found in the ruins of his ancestors. This necklace is an old amulet with a shard of the Master Emerald inside of it. Only bloodlines of the Echidna Tribe can use it to enhance their abilities.

"Knuckles, we can't just blindly charge into the Dr's base, he'll be expecting that." Tails argued.

Tails is now 13 years old. He has grown to have and IQ of 301.He now wears goggles on his head at all times as well as a belt. He created a "bracelet" that can turn into whatever tool he wants: wrench, screw, gun, tracker device, etc. :-

"Miles is correct, we will need a plan." Blaze stated.

Blaze is 19. Although she normally wears her royal robes, she is currently wearing a style to blend in with this world and not be seen as a Queen. She has almost fully mastered her pyrokinesis.

"Plan?! We wouldn't need a plan if Silver hadn't lost Sonic to Metal!" Knuckles shouted accusingly to the white hedgehog. Silver was sitting down slumped in the corner, his face buried within his palms.

Silver is also 19 years old and wears a black scarf with matching gloves, which bore the same symbols as his old ones. He also wears baggy pants.

"It was not his fault, we are all to blame. However, we must not continue arguing like this if we are to save our companion." Espio interrupted.

Espio is now 21, an official adult. He is still a detective along with the rest of the Chaotix, of which their organization has grown very large. His clothing is gray, light-weight pants tucked into his shoes, a long sleeved black shirt with ribbons that wrap around his chest and flow out the back like a scarf.

Everyone went dead silent and hung their heads in shame. Rouge sighed and looked over to see her partner leaning against the wall, arms crossed. He seemed to be in deep thought.

Rouge is 23 years and tends wears her mission gear more often. Her suit is mostly purple and pink with white highlights. Multiple gadgets hang from her belt.

"Shadow, you've been very quiet," Rouge observed, grabbing everyone's attention. The life-form looked up to find that he was now the center of attention. He sighed, then stood up properly, unfolded his arms and walked over to the table. He stared at the map then looked up at Tails.

Shadow is presumed to be around 64 years of age, perhaps older. Three years ago he disbanded from G.U.N because he wanted to see the world like he and Maria always dreamed. He had once come across a hidden village who, after a series of tests, gifted him a magical dagger that syncs with the wielder's mind. He carries the dagger in a sheath attached to the inside of his brown trench coat. He wears pants that are torn at the bottom. His quills are roughed up a bit.

"Before Metal diapered through the portal, he mentioned that the doctor needed Sonic for some sort of experiment," Shadow explained. Amy stepped up.

"But what is the experiment? Did he say?" She asked only to receive a shake of Shadow's head. "Well, he wouldn't have sent that many robots if it weren't important."

Amy is now 17 and has matured greatly over the years. No longer was she painfully obsessed with Sonic. She has returned magic arts and has learned few spells, but nothing too complicated. Her signature hammer has also gotten stronger and she no longer wears her simple red dress. She wears jeans and a sleeveless, modern, magical robe that slightly boosts her magic control. She has an ancient robe that resembles more of a medieval look and uses it when she is either practicing or performing difficult spells. She also grew out her hair.

"I agree, a number of robots Eggman brought with him today was a bit strange. If he needed Sonic for an experiment then he must have brought him to his main lab." Tails pointed out the room on the map. "However, since it's practically the heart of his base then it will be difficult to infiltrate. I say we rest up and recover then we'll get back our friend." Tails was met with nods and murmurs in agreement. Everyone got up and walked out the room, however Tails stopped Shadow before he could leave. The life-form turned to face the young fox.

"Shadow, are you positive that Metal Sonic didn't say anything else?" Tails inquired, slightly tightening his grip on Shadows arm. Shadow looked down at his arm and then back at Tails, meeting his gaze.

"My apologizes, but the robot spoke of nothing else," Shadow replied simply, using a semi-emotionless tone, however. Tails only now just realized how tightly he was gripping the hedgehog's arm. He backed away with his head down.

"I-I'm sorry, I'm just... worried for Sonic. I've been having a bad feeling ever since he was taken through that portal..." Tails admitted. Sonic is more than just a best friend to Tails, he's a brother.

Shadow didn't respond. Tails rubbed the back of his head and laughed awkwardly with an apologetic smile. "S-sorry, I guess I sorta made you uncomfortable, huh? Well, I should probably get ready for the mission, see you out there." Tails walked out of the room leaving Shadow alone, who watched him go.

* * *

 _-A Couple Hours Later-_

Many shadows could be seen moving through the forest outside of Eggman's base. These shadows belonged to the heroes named Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Silver, Blaze, Rouge, Shadow and Espio.

Turrets lay about, and many other traps, just outside the base walls. With the night as their ally, the 8 Mobians sneaked towards the base. Tails led the way, with his bracelet turned into a halo-projection of Eggman's base. He went around a corner and was met with a robot guard. He activated his gun but before he fired, he stopped. The robot was shut down. The others took notice of this too.

Knuckles knocked on the robot but nothing happened "Something's wrong here... Tails, hack into-"

"Already on it!"

He flew up behind the robot and opened up its power hatch. He was met with small electric sparks. He plugged his wrist gadget into the robots head. A screen popped up on his wrist and he started searching through the robots most recent video footage. Tails was disappointed by what he found. Rouge flew up behind him.

"What is it, Miles?" She asked. Tails replayed the footage for her. It showed that the robot was just patrolling and then the screen went black. She looked at him. "I don't understand, did someone turn it off?" Tails started typing in more commands.

"No." He stated bluntly. She waited patiently for an answer, as did the others.

"Didn't you guys notice how we got in here so easily. Eggman is no fool, he would have already tried to destroy us by now but..."

"But what? Don't leave us hanging."

"Recently, there was a minor report of an unexpected electronic wave that covered a 10-mile radius. That means that whatever experiment the doctor was doing, fried everything electronic here." Tails looked up at the others. "Sonic will be fine, after all, he is organic. It also means that _all_ of Eggman's robots are going to be shut off, including Metal, so he won't be a problem." Relief spread through the group but was immediately tense once again. Blaze spoke up quickly.

"But wouldn't Eggman already of rebooted the system? After all, the surge _was_ a while ago." Tails nodded.

"I know, that's what worries me the most." He jumped off of the robot as Rouge flew back down. Tails pulled up the map again. Amy spoke up.

"Just because everything seems to be off, doesn't mean that we shouldn't be careful."

"I agree with Amy, this could be a trap." Espio stated. "Rouge and I will scout ahead." Espio received nods of agreement from the others. Rouge pulled up the map on her wrist screen. Espio camouflaged and Rouge flew swiftly off in the direction that the map pointed.

"Everyone, stay alert," Shadow advised before continuing down the hallway, followed by the rest.

* * *

-Outside of Eggman's Main Lab-

Rouge was waiting impatiently in front of the door.

 _Where are they? They aren't_ that _slow._ The bat thought to herself.Her ears then pricked up and she looked over the find the rest coming around the turn. Knuckles scoffed when he saw her.

"And I thought I was impatient." He joked, only to revive glares from the others. This was not a time for jokes.

"Is Espio with you?" Shadow asked. Rouge opened her mouth to reply but was cut off when said purple chameleon appeared.

"Forgive me but I was doing a perimeter check." Espio looked at the large metal door before the group. "We heard no sounds coming from the other side, except for a drip." Espio looked at Knuckles and took a couple steps back, as did the rest. Knuckles planted his feet then charged at the door, knocking it down with ease.

Pitch Black. That was all they could see, after all, the clouds were covering the moon.

"Hold on," Blaze assured the others before lighting the room with several floating flames.

When the room was lit, it revealed the parts of machinery that were spread about the floor and walls. Wires hung out, sparks flew, holes were broken into the floor, and evidence of small fires was shown by the burnt spots. The group stared on in awe.

"I don't know about you, but this is not what I had expected," Rouge said, surprised by the mess that lay before her. They all spread out to search for clues, but most importantly, Sonic.

Blaze and Silver stood guard the door.

Tails, along with Espio, walked over to where Metal Sonic, Orebot, and Cubot were shut off. The fox glared at the metallic hedgehog in front of him before bending down to examine Eggman's assistants.

"It seems that your theory was correct. It is fortunate that we did not have to fight the doctor's creations." Espio observed with a sense of relief. Tails stood up and looked around, searching.

"But the question remains... where is Eggman?" Tails asked no one in particular.

Shadow and Rouge walked towards the control panel. A rotting stench filled the air, a stench of... blood and... _death_. The pair exchanged glances. A dripping sound is what pulled their attention back. Shadow brought up his hand and his dagger followed, hovering in the air. Rouge pulled out a handgun as they slowly stepped towards the control panel.

The sight before them was... horrifying. Rouge turned away in disgust, covering her mouth in an attempt to hold back the vomit. Shadow stepped back in shock, eyes wide open as if he couldn't tear his them away.

"I... I think I may have found him..." Shadow could hardly focus on the words that slipped from his mouth. Tails, Espio, and Knuckles ran over. They stopped when they saw it... Eggman's corpse.

* * *

 **I want to thank you guys who reviewed and favorited the last chapter, I was not expecting feedback so soon!**

 **Also, the first 5 chapters are going to be posted rather quickly because I have already typed them on Wattpad. However, after chapter 5, the remaining chapters will be spaced out and take longer.**

 **Enjoy your day/night!**


	4. Chapter 3 - Public Announcement

Amy, Silver, and Blaze were fortunate that they didn't see the corpse itself. Eggman was sliced in half, intestines were torn out and spilling onto the cold, hard floor. His corpse lay in a puddle of blood, as well as soaked in it. His eyes were gauged out and his jaw ripped from his skull. Multiple gashes covered his body and parts of it were torn away by what could only be claws or teeth. Jagged, animal-like teeth.

The group was too disgusted by the image to continue the search. Although Tails wanted to extract information from Eggman's main computer, the entire system was off. The heavy stench of death in the room would've made it difficult to concentrate on the hacking, anyway. Exhausted, the heroes returned home to tell everyone of the Doctor's current... condition.

Being both an agent of G.U.N and a citizen of the Kingdom of Acorn, Rouge was chosen to give the news at a public event. That's where we are now, backstage of said event; it would probably change the future. The bat flew in circles, having a nervous breakdown. In the shadows, red eyes watched her. She stopped when a cold chill ran up her back. She turned around, searching. When she spotted the red eyes, she faced them in a fighting stance, but relaxed when she recognized the being.

"Don't sneak up on me, Shadow, especially before such an important meeting." Rouge breathed. She had never felt this pressured before.

A black hedgehog stepped out of the shadows, closing the door behind him.

"I came in to check on you, and wish you well." Shadow walked up to his friend as she flew down to him. She sighed. "It seems like you need some encouragement," Shadow said, placing a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head away.

"How do you do it Shadow?" Rouge asked. He looked at her confused. "I mean, even now you're so calm about all of this. You act as if it's... just another mission or something." The black hedgehog sighed, taking his hand off.

"Someone needs to keep a level head, but I am just as shocked as the rest of you. This event is... troubling for all of us, not just you. The reason you were chosen to speak is that the government needs this information to be revealed by someone of their own and someone the people will trust. The public does not know Omega that well and... I do not fit either category." Shadow informed. He locked eyes with hers and gave a stern expression. "Do not be nervous. I, as well as the others, will all be behind you." His encouraging words caused Rouge to smile. She hugged him and he returned it, awkwardly. She stepped back and looked up at him, smirking. She then playfully punched his arm.

"Don't go all soft on me, Shads, you're supposed to be as emotionless as a rock!" She joked. Shadow crossed his arms and gave her a smirk, scoffing in the process. Her expression relaxed.

"Seriously though, thank you." She turned to walk away. "Well, I should probably get out there. You coming, Shad?"

"In a minute. You go ahead." She walked away as the hedgehog watched her. Shadow let his mind drift, recalling the day before, each event that had come to pass, the search for the blue hedgehog...

 _We never completed the search, there could still be evidence that we missed. No. There_ is _evidence that we missed. I'm so foolish..._ *sigh* _I must tell the oth-. . . . . . . no. . . everyone is too focused on this public announcement; I will tell them after._ Shadow walked through the same exit Rouge did, keeping a stern expression.

* * *

News reporters received an invitation to an important public announcement regarding Dr. Ivo Eggman Robotnik. This was an opportunity for every reporter. So they came from all over the planet to hear the special news. The quad and streets, in front of the Acorn Castle, were crowded with Mobians and people alike; citizens watched the event from their balconies, windows, rooftops or TVs. The queen, Sally Acorn, walked out before the press.

"Good afternoon, Mobians and people of Mobius. As some of you may know, this meeting is regarding a man who has threatened this planet for many, many years. A man called Doctor Ivo 'Eggman' Robotnik. Recently, Mobius's hero, Sonic the Hedgehog has been kidnapped by Dr. Robotnic." She hesitantly informed the media. Gasps escaped from the crowd. Sally continued her speech. "A rescue team was sent out a couple nights ago to save Mr. Sonic: Mr. Prower, Ms. Rose, Mr. Knuckles, Mr. Espio, Mr. Shadow and Federal Agent Rouge." the named mobians stood up from their seats as the audience applauded them. When the noise died down they all sat back down except for Rouge. She looked towards Shadow and with a nod, she walked up next to Sally. "Agent Rouge will now give you the details of their mission." Queen Sally backed up and allowed Rouge to take her place by the mics, each on a different channel.

Rouge put on a calm and serious face. "I will skip right to the point. The mission was unsuccessful-" gasps escaped the audience and murmurs were heard. Rouge knew they would start asking questions. "-although we were not able to find Mr. Sonic, Dr. Eggman's lab showed signs of some sort of struggle. However, we also found..." Rouge paused. A dark and gloomy expression was plastered on her face. "... the corpse of Dr. Ivo Eggman Robotnik..." immediately, there were gasps but mostly shrieks of horror, followed by questions.

One beaver asked, "Do you know what happened to Eggman?" Then a human female.

"Did something attack him?"

"what happened to Sonic?"

"Is Sonic also dead?"

"If something killed Eggman, is there now a greater threat?"

"Can you describe to us the probable cause of his death?"

Questions were being asked from all directions, but one stood out from the rest.

 _"Did Sonic the Hedgehog kill Eggman?"_ A female voice asked.

All the reporters stopped talking and waited for an answer from Rouge. She hesitated, unsure of how to respond. Before she could speak, Knuckles stood up and stomped over to the mics, despite the others' protests.

"Sonic did _not_ kill Eggman!" The Echidna was furious, "Sonic only _defeats_ Eggman, _not_ violently attack him! 'Sides, the wounds on Eggman show signs that he was torn open by jagged teeth and sharp nails. The best plausible cause of Eggman's death is that some sort of monster attacked both of them but only Sonic survived. Why he hasn't come back, we don't know but what we _do_ know is that he is _alive_! So don't go spreading idiotic rumors about him!" Knuckles yelled in a fit of rage, shocking the audience into silence. Knuckles huffed and then walked off the stage and left before he could be bombarded with questions.

"Th-that will be all." Rouge hesitantly concluded before sitting down with the rest of the group. Queen Sally walked back up to the mics.

"Uh, Thank you Agent Rouge and... Mr. Knuckles." Sally turned to the bat and then turned back to the reporters. "We will try our best to find Mr. Sonic the Hedgehog and bring him back. Until then, citizens, you can rest easier tonight knowing that Dr. Eggman is no longer a world threat. I thank you all for attending this conference. We will keep you updated on developments." And with that, Queen Sally and the others retreated behind the curtain while reporters anxiously ask questions. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Tails looked towards the queen.

Once behind the curtains, everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Tails looked at the queen.

"I'm sorry for Knuckles's sudden outburst, Sally." Tails apologized to her. Sally just shook her head.

"No, it's alright, Tails. That question shocked us all and you guys are still on edge from the experience." Sally turned to face Rouge. "And thank you for staying strong and agreeing to this, I really do appreciate it." Rouge smiled.

"It's quite alright, your highness," Rouge assured her, receiving a smile back. Suddenly, Silver, Blaze, Cream and Cheese walked in. Sally greeted them.

"Good afternoon," Blaze responded.

"So how did it go?" Silver asked. The group gave him a confused look.

"What do you mean? You were watching weren't you?" Tails asked.

"Yes, we were, but a television can't tell me how you were feeling." Silver responded with a sarcastic yet kind voice.

"Well... it could've gone better in my opinion," Rouge stated and everyone else murmured in agreement. Sally stepped up to the cat and white hedgehog.

"Are you two sure you don't want to be mentioned? After all, you both did go along on the mission." Sally asked them. Blaze brought her hand up in a sense of reassurance.

"It would be better, and easier, if no one knows I am a queen and Silver is from 200 years in the future." Blaze stated. It was true. Even now, Mobians stared at her for just have a jewel on her forehead.

"Very well, I understand." Sally gave in. As one queen to another, she understood the dangers of being out in the open when people knew of your rank in society. That's why she doesn't visit all the little towns like she used to, much to her dislike. Shadow stepped in.

"Excuse me your highness, but I'd like to discuss something, with you and the others, in a more _private_ room." He lowered his voice when he spoke, hinting that it was very important.

"Yes, of course," Sally responded and led them to a secured room that was furnished nicely and had an overview of the city. The door was locked and everyone was seated, but when Shadow began, he was immediately cut off by Amy.

"You are going say that we never finished the mission, aren't you." She asked in a serious tone. Shadow nodded as the others looked confused. Amy looked down at her hands laying tensed in her lap. "Did anyone else notice the red symbols and circles on the ground?" Everyone looked at each other as if asking. Espio spoke up.

"I had noticed them, however, I did not recognize what they were. Do you know?" The chameleon asked in a flat yet questioning tone. Amy lifted her head.

"Unfortunately, yes." She stood up, closed her eyes, and held up her hand, murmuring words of another language. Suddenly, four books appeared on the table. They're titled _Demonology I_ , _Demonology II_ , _Dark Spells_ , _and Forbidden Rituals_ ; all of them had multiple markers for the pages. She picked up the _Forbidden Rituals_ book and flipped to one of the many bookmarks. As she did this, Tails hesitantly picked up _Demonology II_ and scanned through each page. Silver used his telekinesis to pick up _Demonology I_ and opened the book to the middle. Although they could not read the letter, the pictures gave some interesting information.

"Amy, where did you get these?" Blaze questioned while peering over Silver's shoulder to see the book.

"I asked my mentor about the symbols, and I guess by the description, she knew what I was talking about right away. So she showed me these though warned me to never use any of the spells, enchantments or summonings. She also gave me a book about encountering these... ah! Here." She placed the book on the table and turned it around to show her friends. They leaned in to look closer at it. "I'm not sure if these are the right books though; I will need to go back to the lab." Everyone looked at each other again and this time Silver spoke.

"Are you sure-"

"Yes, I am sure-" Amy stood up, cutting the hedgehog off. "-but that doesn't mean you have to go with me. I will go alone." With that, she dismissed the books and headed toward the door. Tails quickly stood up.

"Sonic is like a brother to me, so if figuring out those symbols will help us, I'm coming with. I can also gather the files from-uh-the main computer there." He walked to join her at the door and they both turned to face the others.

"I'm sorry, but I will not be available to accompany you. I have an urgent meeting with Vector." Espio replied, then turned to the queen. "Your highness." He said, bowing to the queen, of which she returned with a nod, before exiting the room.

"Sorry guys, Shadow and I have something we need to do first," Rouge stated apologetically. Shadow gave her questioning look, however, she dismissed it with a subtle shake of her head.

"I'm afraid that we cannot stay here any longer; we must return to our own world and time, or risk a disruption in this one." Silver gestured to him and Blaze. Everyone nodded and bid their farewells before Silver and Blaze returned home in a flash of light.

"I'm coming with you!" Cream ran up to them, along with Cheese.

Cream is now 13 years old. A couple years ago she started to go on missions with the rest of her friends as she was of age, and her mother finally agreed. She wears a short dress with ribbons on her ears and a large ribbon around her waist.

"Alright, Cream, let's go." Tails replied with a smile. With that the trio walked out the door, followed by Rouge and Shadow. When they exited the castle, the two groups said goodbye with Shadow and Rouge wishing them good luck.

"I need to gather some things before we go," Amy informed her group.

"Same here, meet me at my workshop and then we'll fly to Eggman's base." Tails proposed, receiving an 'alright' from the pink hedgehog.

"I'll go with Tails." Cream told Amy. Cheese chirped and then followed the rabbit and fox while the hedgehog girl walked the other direction.

Amy walked on with a stern expression on her face. She hoped that she was wrong about those symbols.


	5. Chapter 4 - Morrigan

Amy walked through the city until she came to the forest on the other side. She walked along the trail until she reached a specific tree. She placed her hand upon the tree bark and closed her eyes, reciting words from another language. When her eyes opened, the tree was still there but the world around her was different. She now stood in a wide open meadow with strange creatures running around. A particular creature walked towards her.

It was a cat; a large, female cat. A cat with two tails and three eyes. She was a téba, a mythical creature that was worshiped in ancient desert civilizations believing they were connected to one of their gods. Each eye was a different color that complimented her fur and the gold jewelry she wore. She greeted the Mobian with a small purr.

"Hello, Ubasti." Amy returned the greeting as she scratched under the feline's chin. "Do you know if Morrigan is home?" Ubasti nodded and led her to a garden full of exotic and strange plants. At the end of the garden, there was an old, ram mobian who seemed to be sprinkling some sort of liquid on a blue and yellow plant. The mobian wore a dark robe and used a root as a walking cane. Her fur was a creamy white.

"Back so soon, Rose? I thought for sure you'd be off chasing demons." The old goat said, not lifting her head to look at the pink hedgehog.

"Morrigan, I need-"

"Where are your manners, girl?" The old ram, Morrigan, finally looked at Amy. "Yeesh, you spend only a day out there and you start acting like the rest of the ungrateful younglings." Morrigan walked over to a table and chairs nearby while Amy followed her.

"I'm sorry, Morrigan, but it's urgent that I speak to you."

"Very well, girl, tell me what you want. I presume you're going to revisit those runes?"

"Yes, accompanied by a few friends. Do you think you can teach me a protection spell? Against dark magic?"

"You know the greatest protection spell is just being careful. But... I will teach you one of the spells. It's the best you can do with your current abilities. It's not much but it will help in case of emergencies. Be warned, girl, when cast, this spell will drain much of your mana."

"I'll be careful."

"Hmph! You better be! Who else will help me take care of all these creatures, hmm?" Morrigan questioned. She chuckled slightly to herself. "Come, girl, I'd rather keep my garden intact." She mumbled that last bit, just loud enough for Amy to hear. The pink hedgehog rolled her eyes as a small smirk appeared on her face. "Don't you roll your eyes at me, young lady! You try keeping a garden this well kept with wild creatures and plants running amuck!" She exclaimed.

They walked out onto a wide field, however, instead of being luscious and green, it had evidence of magic being used on a regular basis, for the grass was either destroyed, overgrown, or discolored. There was a pair of chairs and a small round table under a nearby.

"Now." The old goat turned to the young hedgehog. "Since this spell drains so much mana, where must you gather this required energy?"

Amy sighed. Her teacher had made her go over this many times.

"From the soul," Amy replied nonchalantly. She hated these kinds of spells because she was required to tap into her _soul's_ mana. The young hedgehog had many difficulties harnessing power from her soul. She was starting to have doubts that she would be able to activate it when the time came.

"Good." Morrigan walked over to sit in one of the chairs under the tree. "Now imagine that you're going to be attacked, hm? It is a being of darkness that will launch at you and your friends. For protection, you will be creating a bubble of sorts around you. Anything you consider to be the enemy will not be able to enter the dome. Likewise, anyone considered an ally _will_ be able to enter. However, only a certain number of beings will be allowed in the dome depending on the caster's level of skill." Morrigan studied her apprentice for a moment, blind eyes scanning over the hedgehog. "I suspect that you will only be able to protect four others, girl." The goat informed. "For now, however, make a small protection dome by saying _Iskiath Che Rodah_ and consider me an ally."

The hedgehog nodded to the old woman. She breathed in, closing her eyes and taking in her surroundings. She focused on the magical energy within and around her. She crossed her arms in front of her, palms facing outward.

"Iskiath Che Rodah!" She yelled, flinging her arms back. Part of a shield formed before her but hardly enough to surround her.

"Again." She heard her teacher urge.

Following instructions once again, she returned to the same position as before. Uttering the same foreign words, she repeated the steps. More of a shield appeared this time, but still not enough.

"Again, and this time try to summon the magic from the _soul_ , girl. We can be here all night if need be." Morrigan summoned tea and a teapot, as well as sugar and a spoon.

Amy didn't have all night, she had to meet her friends for the investigation. _'_ _Well, I better get started then.'_ She thought to herself. This was going to be a _long_ day.

* * *

The sun was setting over the horizon, painting the sky with brilliant colors of purple, red and gold. A field stood still, forever under its watchful eye. Two Mobians stood out in the wide open space.

Amy Rose panted greatly, her mana depleted from casting repeatedly. She collapsed to the ground, trying to catch her breath.

Suddenly, a bottle was placed before her. It was a mana bottle.

"Drink up, girl. You've done well today." The goat before her complimented. "You've been improving quite rapidly. I believe you're ready for the next step in your studies."

Amy nearly spat out the mana potion. She stared wide-eyed at the old goat. She couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Close your mouth, girl. You look like a buffoon." Morrigan scoffed. She made for her cottage as Amy scurried after her.

Amy had studied about the different stages of becoming a full-fledged sorceress. ' _Am I really ready for the next stage? Doesn't that mean-?'_

"It is time that you have a familiar of your own. This familiar will be your bond, your companion, your friend, but most importantly, your _family_." Morrigan walked over to a shelf that had multiple boxes, all of the same shape. The old goat levitated one down into the palm of your hand. She walked back over to her apprentice and handed her the box, gesturing for her curious student to open it. Amy Rose did so and found a cleanly-cut crystal engraved with a ruin. It was a Bond Stone.

"One day, you will come across a creature that you will feel a small connection with. When that happens, you care for it and earn its trust. When the time it's right, use this stone and that creature will become your familiar." Morrigan finished explaining. "Don't lose it, Rose." The old goat warned in a serious tone. "Without a familiar, you won't be able to continue your studies. A familiar enhances your powers and unlocks your true potential." Morrigan smiled. She then turned away to retire for the night. "You may even be able to save that foolish hedgehog." She paused at the door. "Speaking of which, don't you have somewhere to be, girl? Hm?" She hinted, gaining the hedgehog's attention.

Amy's head shot up and looked at the wooden clock hanging on the wall. "Oh no! I forgot!" The hedgehog rushed out of the door but immediately came back to poke her head in through the doorway. "Thank you, Morrigan!" She squealed rapidly and continued her speedy exit.

"Hmph!" Morrigan watched her apprentice running through the forest and towards the tree she came through. "Still acts like a child no matter the age." She complained and with a grunt, closed to door to her room.

 **(A/N) I first want to apologize to my readers. I said that I would post the first 5 Chapters and _then_ it would take longer. Instead, I stopped uploading and never said why. The reason for this is that I got distracted from posting and then just kept putting it off. However, reading your comments was like a slap in the face because it gave me the motivation to post this chapter. So I want to thank you guys for that.**

 **Also, I thought I might mention that chapter 6 will indeed take a while longer because I haven't finished it and I'm currently going through Writer's Block with this specific story. I am currently lacking the original motivation that I had for the story. Hopefully, it will come back to me because I _do_ want to continue writing this. It's fun and I've been wanting to write this for a good while. I even have the story board written out. So hopefully, I will get back to this story, but after chapter 5 expect another long pause. I was originally hoping to write this summer, but I've run out of time and school is starting up again. So I want to deeply apologize for my lack of activity.**

 **On a brighter note, expect an update on the book cover soon. Also, if you want to know what Morrigan looks like, I posted a drawing of her on my DeviantArt.**

 **See ya Later ;)**


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